Confidentiality

Your counseling contacts with Counseling Center staff are confidential within the limits of the law. All staff members (professional staff, support staff, trainees, and paraprofessionals) are expected to treat as confidential all of their interactions with students who come to this agency for service. ASU students employed or in training at the Counseling Center have no access to student files. Neither your name nor the nature of your contact with counseling services are to be disclosed without your written consent.

Exceptions to this noted below:

Exceptions

Exceptions to confidentiality may be required by law. These exceptions include:

where there is reasonable suspicion of abuse of children or elderly persons;

where the person presents a serious danger of violence to another;

where the person is likely to harm himself or herself unless protective measures are taken; and

where release of records is court mandated.

In addition, in order to ensure the highest quality of care to you, your therapist may consult (utilizing discretionary disclosure) with other mental health professionals within our agency. If you have any questions about the legal limits of confidentiality, be sure to discuss your concerns with your counselor. Your comfort and security is critical to the success of your counseling experience.

E-mails

With respect to e-mail communication with counselors, students are cautioned that e-mail is NOT a confidential means of communication. Therefore, counseling staff at the Counseling Center use their discretion in responding to any e-mail communications from students with whom they work in a counseling capacity. E-mail is not the appropriate medium to communicate urgent or emergency information.